What do you see when you look in the mirror? According to Chinese medicine, your face is a window to your health. Your forehead, nose, chin, right cheek, left cheek: Each of these five face zones provides clues to what is going on inside your body… if you know what to look for. And Maoshing Ni, an anti-aging expert and doctor of Chinese medicine, does. Better known as Dr. Mao, this healer shares insights from his book, Secrets of Self Healing (Avery, 2007). As LifeScript’s natural health specialist, Dr. Mao decodes those facial clues and helps you figure out what’s ailing you…

Waking up with a pimple on your nose or a rash across your cheek can be slightly embarrassing, from a vanity standpoint. Our typical reaction is to dab on concealer and hope no one notices. But have you ever wondered what caused the blemish in the first place?

Most people don’t realize that their face offers information about what’s going on beneath the skin’s surface. “Your body speaks a unique language to communicate the imbalances within it,” Dr. Mao says in his book. “Over the past 5,000 years, Chinese medicine has mastered the art and science of reading the body’s language.”

Dr. Mao’s face assessment puts your health in your hands. Who better to recognize subtle changes in your appearance than you? Your reflection offers visual cues to what may be happening with your heart, stomach, hormones and even your mind and spirit. Go ahead, take a look. What does your face reveal about you?

1. Forehead

Corresponding element: According to Chinese medicine, the forehead corresponds to the fire element. This connection indicates an association with the heart and small intestine organ network, as well as the mind and spirit.

What to look for: When examining your forehead, look for redness and small blood vessels that appear as discoloration, which could indicate a heart problem, Dr. Mao says. Skin discoloration could also be caused by a recent emotionally-charged experience, such as a breakup or loss. It is common for people whose emotions are in turmoil on a regular basis to have a constant furrow between their eyebrows. (See related article: Raw Emotions: 5 Ways to Buffer Your Suffering)

What it means: According to Dr. Mao, a heart attack can often be foretold by a subtle bluish-green hue on the forehead. If you have discoloration on your forehead accompanied by heart palpitations, dizziness, shortness of breath, and tingling or pain in your left arm, schedule an appointment with a cardiologist or immediately visit an emergency room if necessary.

2. Nose

Corresponding element: Your nose corresponds to the earth element, indicating a connection to the stomach, spleen and pancreas network.

What to look for: Symptoms of internal discord typically show up as a pimple on the tip or side of your nose, Dr. Mao says. Broken capillaries or redness across the bridge of the nose may reveal alcohol abuse or simply mean a person is under excessive worry and stress. Both causes put a strain on the internal organ network associated with the earth element.

What it means: People with blemishes or discoloration on their nose also likely suffer from indigestion, constipation or diarrhea. Think back to your dinner last night or lunch the day before. Did you eat a lot of spicy, deep-fried, fatty, or rich foods? How about chocolate? If the answer is “yes,” your choice of cuisine could be the problem. Your body is indicating its displeasure with your culinary selection.

3. Chin

Corresponding element: The chin area of your face corresponds to the water element. It is associated internally to your kidney and bladder organ network, including the hormonal system and glands.

What to look for: According to Dr. Mao, blemishes, discoloration and dark patches of skin around the chin and mouth could indicate problems within the kidneys or bladder. Recurrent acne breakouts around this area of the face may be due to a hormonal imbalance. The problem is most often due to the body producing excess estrogen or testosterone and tends to be a particular issue when paired with irregular menstruation in women and prostate symptoms in men.

Be sure to also check out your philtrum – the indentation just above your top lip. This small area relates to the uterus and ovaries in women and the prostate and genitals in men, Dr. Mao says. Horizontal lines, blemishes or discoloration across the philtrum may indicate infertility issues due to problems such as endometriosis or uterine fibroid cysts.

What it means: People who have a small chin, according to Chinese medicine, have a genetic predisposition to weakness in their kidney and bladder network. However, this doesn’t mean that small-chinned people will develop kidney disease, Dr. Mao says. The information is simply an alert that a tendency may exist, and patients can choose to make behavioral changes to prevent the development of a condition.

4.Right Cheek

Corresponding element: Your right cheek corresponds to the metal element, meaning this area of your face is connected to the lung and large intestine network.

What to look for: Problems in the lung and large intestine network present themselves as discoloration, blemishes and skin problems on the right cheek, according to Chinese medicine. A mild acne breakout, eczema patch or slight redness may mean a cold is coming on. Lung illness or upper respiratory ailments also trigger visual symptoms on the right cheek. (See related article: Cold and Flu Survival Guide)

What it means: People who are prone to respiratory allergies or asthma have a tendency to suffer from a reddish, scaly eczema, a slight rash or even a slight bluish-green hue along the right cheek. These symptoms often precede the actual attack, Dr. Mao says. The visual tip-offs are caused by too much heat or inflammation in the respiratory system or a lack of oxygen from bronchial constriction in the lungs.

5. Left Cheek

Corresponding element: In Chinese medicine, your left cheek corresponds to the wood element, meaning a correlation to the liver and gallbladder network.

What to look for: Broken capillaries and redness, especially up next to the bridge of your nose, indicate heat, inflammation or congestion of toxins in the liver, Dr. Mao says. Bulging veins, redness and rash can be symptoms of either a physical ailment or pent-up emotions in a patient. A yellowish hue under the left eye may indicate processing problems in the liver and gallbladder network.

What it means: Redness, discoloration, vein bulging or a rash on the left cheek may indicate that a person suffers from high blood pressure, gallstones or high triglycerides or cholesterol, Dr. Mao says. Problems in this part of the face can also reveal emotional issues, such as anger and depression, since the liver and gallbladder network includes the nervous system.

Have a question for Dr. Mao? Email him at DrMao@LifeScript.com. Be sure to include your first name and last initial. Plus, meet Dr. Mao.

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